Tongs and the like



May 24, 1927. 1,629,631

- G. E. NIX

TONGS AND THE LIKE Filed my 12. 1926 INVENTOR.

A TTORN'E Y.

Patented May 24, 1927.

iiliii'iE''STATES orne r.v

' (inonenn. NIX, or Emmet, 'rnXAs.

Tones Ann Tra n Leia.

Application filed July 12,

This invention relates to tongs. and wrenches, and more particularly to a'type' of tongs designed-especially for handlingcasing, pipe and other tubular work, and its principalobject resides in the provision of a tool of the character above designated composed of a series otpivoted links by which to engirdle the work and distribute the pressure upon the work in a uniform manner,

thus-to avoid crushing or'otherwise injuring the pipe; 7 1

rrt'urther object of the invention is to provide tongs capable of automatically latching about 'thework when thrust thereagainst, and when so latched, exertion upon the handle ot'the tongs in one direction-will tend to simultaneously urge thepivoted links against the work with equal force, while an opposite movement of the handle will cause the links to-disengage the work and permit another hitch. V I

VJith the foregoing objects in view,,the inventionhas particularly reference ,to its peculiar arrangementot-parts, directed to wardlan efiicient wrenchot durable and economical construction, by which the foregoing objects are attained, and which will be manifested 'n the following detail description and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 represents'a perspective viewot a wrench constructed according to the pres-- ent invention. H

Figure 2- is. ardiagrammatic plan view thereof with portions of the handle broken away. I i i Figure 3iis a detail view of thelatching member, and the preferred means by which the same is urged to operative: position, and Figureais likewise a detail view of the latching member, and furtherdepiction of the means for urging the same toward a latched position. i c

.Pivoted link structures-whose .purpose. is to engirdle and firmly hold tubular objects is of course known to have been heretofore contrived and appliedas casing-tongs, and

while the present invention proposes to em-;

body such a structure in its assemblygthe. associated elements are'oi. such nature as to cause equal contraction of these links accordingly with the extent of force applied to the relative elements to firmly grip and hold the of the keeper andjaw 8 inorder to insure 1926. Sara No. 12%859.

engaged body,vand to permit ready release and disengagement at will, and with out undue exertion; 1 In proceeding according to, the, foregoing, and employingsimilar characters of refer- ,ence to indicate different parts, attention is directed to Figure 1 of the drawings, and in 0 whichl denotes the handle of the tool, not. ted at a and provided at its aperture end with anoftset or head 2 apparent in broken linesin this figure. An arm 3 of relative size is likewise supplied with a similar'head or offset 2 and being connected at 'its 0pposite end 4 to the slot a of the handle 1 ,-a. sliding action of the arm with'respect to the handle is obtained.

The head or girth-of thewrench is com- 0 posed inthe present case of four pivoted links or jaws, which will be hereinafter re terred to as inner and outer jaws in pairs; theinner' jaws being designated by the characters 5 and 6', while the outer jaws ibear reference characters? and 8.- The jaws 5 and 7 are each supplied with bifurcated tail portions as shown to receive the'ends of the arm 3 and handle 1. Through a pin 9,,acentral pivot is formed between the two inner j aws' '5 and6, and the latter jaw is pivot- I ally connected-by'a pin 10 to the offset 2 of the arm 3. The outer jaw or latching member-7 is pivoted by a pin 11 at its bifurcated end to the arm 3, and in this manner endwise movement of the arm combined with a slight downward thrust is imparted by reason ofits sliding engagement with the handle l The inner jaw 5 is connected by a pin 12 to the handle 1 in a similar manner as applied in connecting the outer jaw 7 and arm 3, and since the opposing outer jaw 8 is pivoted by a pin 13 to the ofiset 2 of the handle 1 a movement similar to that imparted to the opposing pivotal engagement is obtained. r 1' A lug: 14 is formed upon the endof the outer latching jaw 7 and is arrangedvto be automatically engaged by the recess, shown in dotted lines in Figure 2, in the keeper 15, 1 when the tool is collapsed about a pipe .The keeper 15 is pivoted by a pin 15 to the jaw 8 and is constantly held under tension by atlat spring 16 intermediate the tail proper engagement at each performance, and

in addition to this arrangement, a slot 6 is formed in the tail of the jaw 7 as particularly apparent in Figures 3 and 4, through which extends the head of a screw 17, affixed in the adjacent jaw 6, and intermediate the two jaws, an expansion spring 18 is mounted on the screw to constantly urge the jaw 7 inward.

In operation, the outer jaws 7 and 8 are spread in order that the work may be received therebetween, and the wrench, being suspended by suitable means by the eyes 19, is swung forward, and colliding with the central pivotal point between the inner jaws 5 and 6, the tool is collapsed about the work and is automatically latched as aforesaid. Force applied to the handle 1 either manually or mechanically, tends to move the jaws simultaneously in a circular fashion, due to the dual pivots 1O, 11, 12 and 13, on the arm 3 and handle 1. Thus the jaws are contracted about the work until the latter is firmly gripped therein and rotated.

A ratchet effect is made possible by the arrangement of elements aforesaid, and by which the handle 1 may be oscillated to'and fro and alternately release and engage the work, turning the same in one direction, and to facilitate secure engagement with the work, the inner engaging surfaces of the jaws may be corrugated or otherwise roughened.

To release the tool from the work, it is required only to strike the keeper 15 a blow with a hammer or other tool, whereupon the jaws will be disengaged, permitting the tool to be swung back out of the way until further required.

It is realized that some variation may be made in the details and construction herein manifested, and it is not intended that the invention be restricted thereto, except as pointed out in the appended claims, in which it is intended to claim all novelty inherent in the invention as broadly as the state of the art permits.

What is claimed is:

1. A wrench having a collapsible work engaging element comprising a series of curved pivoted jaws and a latching means; a handle having eccentric pivotal engagement with a pair of said jaws; an arm having eccentric pivotal engagement with another pair of said jaws and having sliding engagement with said handle, said engagement being arranged to co-operatively contact said jaws to grip the work when said handle is moved in one direction.

2. A wrench having a work engaging element comprising inner and outer curved jaws connected by an inner central .pivot; a latch carried by said outer jaws diametrically spaced from said central pivot when operative; a handle eccentrically pivoted to one set of inner and outer jaws; an arm having eccentric pivotal engagement with the other set of said jaws, and having sliding engagement with said handle; said arrangement causing co-operative contraction of said jaws about the work when said handle is moved in one direction.

3. A wrench including a work engaging element comprising jaws having a central pivot; a handle having its end pivotedto one side of said work engaging element and joining said jaws in eccentrically movable relationship; an arm having one of its ends slidably attached to said handle and its other end to the opposite side of said work engaging element, said arrangement being adapted to cause contraction of said jaws to grip the work with increasing force accordingly with the pressure applied to said handle.

4. A wrench including a work engaging element comprising pivoted jaws arranged to be urged to closed position about the work. by engagement therewith; means to cause contraction of said jaws to permit the same to tighten upon the work; said means comprising two sets of jaws pivotally joined together; a handle having eccentric pivotal engagement with one of said sets, an arm having eccentric pivotal engagement with the other of said sets diametrically opposite the engagement of said handle, and means for slidably connecting the arm with the handle whereby movement of the latter will tend to expand and contract said jaws.

5. A tool of the character described including an element arranged to automatically lock about an object when thrust thereagainst; said element comprising-a series of jaws pivotally joined at one point; a handle and an arm slidably attached to the handle; said arm and handle having their ends dia- 105 metrically pivoted to said jaws an opposing sides of said joining pivot to connect the same in movable eccentric relationship; said pivotal engagement of said arm and handle to cause co-operative contraction of said 110 jaws to grip an object with increasing force accordingly with the pressure applied to said handle in one direction.

6. A tool of the character described including a jaw structure comprising two sets 115 of jaws pivotally connected together arranged to be collapsed about an object to be rotated and having a handle forming an eccentric connection for one of said sets; an arm slidably attached to said handle and 120 forming an eccentric connection for the other of said sets; said handle and arm being thus pivoted to said pivoted jaw structure so as to impart limited individual circular movement thereto to contract the same to grip said object when said handle is moved in one direction, and means to lessen said grip whensaid handle is moved in an opposite direction.

7. A wrench having a work engaging element including jaws curved to conform with diametrically opposite said handle connecthe contour of the work and pivotallyjoined; tion, said pivotal connection so arranged as a handle forming an eccentric pivotal conto contract and expand the jaws by move- 10 nection between the jaws at one point; a ment of the handle.

compensating arm slidaloly connected to the In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. handle and forming at its other end an eccentric pivotal connection between the jaws GEORGE E. NIX. 

